How common is asymptomatic HSV-2?
Symptomatic genital herpes infection was reported in 82.3% of patients, whereas 17.7% of patients were asymptomatic at time of serological documentation of HSV-2 infection.
Can you have herpes and be asymptomatic?
One of the most common herpes-related questions is whether or not it’s possible to be infected with the herpes virus without ever experiencing any symptoms. Unfortunately, that’s a thing, and it’s called asymptomatic herpes. In fact, it’s a major thing.
How long can you have HSV-2 without knowing?
How long can herpes go undetected? Once you’ve contracted HSV, there will be an incubation period — the time it takes from contracting the virus until the first symptom appears. The incubation period for HSV-1 and HSV-2 is the same: 2 to 12 days. For most people, the symptoms begin to show up in about 3 to 6 days.
How often does asymptomatic shedding occur HSV-2?
In persons with asymptomatic HSV-2 infections, genital HSV shedding occurs on 10.2% of days, compared to 20.1% of days among those with symptomatic infections.
How long does asymptomatic herpes shedding last?
About 75 percent of asymptomatic shedding events only last for a day, while viral shedding lasts longer when accompanied by symptoms.
What are the odds of contracting HSV-2?
Given this estimate of infectivity, the risk of HSV-2 transmission per sex act was 2.3% (median 30 acts prior to transmission).
Can HSV-2 antibodies go away?
It may take between six and eight weeks to detect antibodies in a herpes blood test after first becoming infected with HSV. Also, antibodies may disappear with time, especially if the person has infrequent recurrences of herpes.
Is HSV-2 contagious without an outbreak?
Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 are most contagious when sores are present, but can also be transmitted when no symptoms are felt or visible. For sexually active people, consistent and correct use of condoms is the best way to prevent genital herpes and other STIs.
Does HSV-2 weaken over time?
HSV-2 shedding may also decrease over time, as 2 studies demonstrated that subclinical shedding rates declined by approximately half after the first year of infection [6, 8]. Despite these observations, detailed data on genital HSV-2 shedding many years after herpes acquisition are limited.
Can you test positive for HSV-2 without an outbreak?
Many people who test positive for herpes antibodies have no symptoms; often, they can’t recall even a single outbreak.